Upcoming Jazz Fest will feature diverse jazz musicians, local wine and homebrew
The Garden Gate Jazz, Wine, & Craft Beer Festival on April 21st in Huntingburg will celebrate diversity featuring music from The Mike Tracy Brazilian Ensemble from Louisville followed by the Wade Baker Jazz Collaboration from Cincinnati. The free festival opens its gates at 4:30 p.m and music begins at 5:30 p.m.
A veritable “Ambassador of Jazz,” University of Louisville’s Michael Tracy is one of America’s foremost jazz educators, with more than thirty-seven years of performing and teaching experience. In classrooms, studios, and concert halls he has developed a variety of innovative approaches to jazz education enabling him to work with students of any proficiency.
As director of the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Studies Program at U of L, Tracy has also made forays into the worlds of recording, publishing, and arranging. He has five CDs to his credit. His Brazilian Jazz ensemble is made up of Tracy on saxophone, Pat Lentz, guitar, Pablo Souza, acoustic/electric bass, and Lourenço Vasconcellos and Bruno “Gafanhoto” Souza on drums and percussion.
Wade Baker is a graduate of Jasper (IN) High school and has played at numerous jazz festivals including the International Blues Challenge, Bean Blossom Blues Festival, Cincinnati Blues Festival, University of Louisville Jazz Festival, University of Indianapolis Jazz Festival, Butler Jazz Festival, Ball State Jazz Festival, and Indiana State Jazz Festival.
Baker was nominated for the 2009 Cincy Groove Magazine Artist of the Year as well as the 2009 Cincinnati Entertainment Award in the Jazz Category. He also won the 2009 Cincy Groove Artist of the Month Award for April 2009. The Wade Baker Jazz Collaboration was formed in October of 2009 as a means to start a new revolution in the jazz scene of Cincinnati and abroad. It is the W.B.J.C.’s goal to play an eclectic fusion of jazz, hip-hop, funk and groove music while keeping the integrity and spirit of the traditions of the jazz masters.
The festival, a first for Dubois County, will also have a wine and craft beer garden. Wineries from southern Indiana will be providing samples, and bottles will be available for carry out. The beer garden will feature craft beers from both the US and from Indiana. The Dubois County Suds Club will also provide samples of homebrew and have a “People’s Choice Award” homebrew competition. All activities will take place on south side of Market Street behind the Old Town Hall, 309 N. Geiger Street.
All activities will take place on south side of Market Street behind the Old Town Hall, 309 N. Geiger Street. The event is co-sponsored by the Huntingburg Chamber of Commerce and Vincennes University Jasper Campus.
“Jazz festivals offer audiences a means of encountering things that are outside their everyday experience,” said Jim McFaul, co-chair of the event. “It is argued that the view of jazz is ‘high brow.’ This does not play out in reality once audiences engage with the music first hand and having both traditional and Latino jazz music our event is all inclusive so we can celebrate the diversity of Dubois County.”
Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and food concessions will be available from local vendors.
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